Monday, July 07, 2008 Pangan: Rendition By Benjie R. Pangan At Close Range
CLEARLY a year after our elected officials have been sworn into office, the electorate in particular, and the public in general, desire to know what their elected officials have accomplished or have omitted to do.
When Congress resumes its session on the third week of this month, its honorable members will give time to listen to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo render her lengthy, statistics-filled State of the Nation Address or Sona.
Like business organizations, government units, through their executives, are required, especially so, to report on their activities and operations for the past year.
It is the duty of local government units (LGUs) to account for the funds sourced and disbursed, as these have fiduciary elements and are to be held in trust for the people. After all, a public office is a public trust. Lest the public officials forget, the public funds are not theirs to squander or use for their personal purposes, as some, if not most of the elected officials, are wont to do.
Simultaneous to, or immediately after the Sona, the provincial, city and municipal executives are mandated to render their respective report cards to their constituents. What if a municipal mayor has virtually nothing to report on, as his past year's activities consisted mainly of junkets and frequent visits to cockfights, videoke bars, casinos and monte joints? What if the funds of the Municipal Government were used solely for his personal transactions?
A public office is a public trust, I may repeat. This phrase is easily said but it is rarely observed. It has been observed that once elected, the official treats the public office as a private domain and the funds accruing thereto as his personal funds. Shame. Sin verguenza.
While some of these elected officials splurge on designer clothes, jewelry and accessories, go on junkets and sometimes carry on extramarital affairs, a lot of people wallow in abject poverty, with nary a grain to eat. Do you think subject public officials care? Nah, not on your life!
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Bribe talk, anyone? Innuendos and false accusations abound in so-called biddings and government projects. One recent allegation of irregularity may involve the huge Northrail project which should have been implemented soonest, what with the readiness of the Chinese government to extend the loan to finance the project, were it not for some clouds of doubt installed by disgruntled sectors including one senator of the Republic and an obscure lawyer.
Secretary Edgardo Pamintuan, the chairman and CEO of the North Luzon Railways Corporation, was quick to douse the rumors flying thick and fast that several persons were paid bribes by the Chinese contractors.
Ed has categorically dismissed the allegations of lawyer Harry Roque that money has indeed changed hands in the course of implementation of the ambitious project which, by its very nature and scope, can drastically cut travel time from Caloocan to Clark and beyond, not to mention the fringe benefits it may bring to the areas traversed by the railways such as increased value of real estate, etc.
As both lawyers know, allegations should be adequately, concisely and convincingly supported by solid evidence. Until such had been done or supplied, allegations remain as, yes, mere allegations.
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Countdown to Mabalacat cityhood. Crucial to the people's and habitat's existence is solid peace and order set up and situation. Mayor Marino "Boking" Morales promptly convened the town's peace and order council in order to solidify measures already in place to stem the tide of rising crime incidents and to ward off potential crime syndicates preying on the town's residents, transients and guests, including the ubiquitous Bumbay traders.
Last week, a Peacekeeping Skills Enhancement seminar was even held which included the town's barangay chairmen led by ABC President Jeng Yumul and with the visible and hardworking mayor, Superintendent Rene Soria and Mabalacat's chief of police Jovencio Flores in attendance.
I suggest that the townsfolk should be urged to be involved in this important activity. Their personal immersion, commitment and involvement should be elicited so that the goals of the peace and order council will be successfully achieved. 'Di ba, Mayor Boking, sir?
